By the end, the intricacy of the novel’s structure comes to feel both unexpected and inevitable, building toward a final devastating convergence ... The graceful, stately quality of the sentences evokes restraint, avoiding sentimentality ... In one sense, this story line offers little ambiguity; its villains are predictably corrupt, the cruelty of their methods operatic. But Adébáyò humanizes those sucked into the vortex of that power with a striking compassion — the characters’ misjudgments and delusions are deeply and empathetically imagined, wholly alive.
Violence in multiple guises – political, domestic, psychic – simmers beneath the surface of the often restrained prose ... As the protagonists’ stories are ineluctably drawn together, the compassion Adébáyò feels for her two protagonists is deep and her social consciousness commendable. Other elements are more hit and miss. The two leads – understandably – turn in on themselves and become passive because of the pressures of material circumstance. But until the novel’s admittedly explosive final act, this often means that they are held at arm’s length from the reader, encased in fairly repetitive self-reflection and angst ... As a result, some of the peripheral characters steal the show ... It’s a shame that Adébáyò sidelines the curious and exciting 'good things' about her novel.
Set in Osun state in the early 00s, Ayòbámi Adébáyò’s compelling second novel explores the country’s inequalities and contradictions ... This immensely readable novel is a blistering indictment of the abuse of power (political and domestic) and the ubiquitous violence that can destroy lives overnight.
Adébáyọ̀... has a sprightly writing style that’s pleasurably at odds with the devastating story she tells. She captures the almost musical speech patterns of her characters and doesn’t trouble to translate snatches of Nigeria’s many languages. The novel’s cast is large, but each character is distinct; you won’t confuse Ẹniọlá’s mother with Wuraọlá’s, even though they’re quite alike. Both suffer, and so do their families. A Spell of Good Things is a wonderfully written, tragic book.
... a remarkable exploration of power, ambition, and fate ... Adébáyọ̀ captures the nuances of interpersonal relationships and the wide-ranging impact of political corruption and violence. She writes her characters, and the world they inhabit, in vivid detail, rendering A Spell of Good Things unforgettable.
Unapologetically Yoruba, an unmistakable Nigerian verisimilitude permeates the novel. Readers unfamiliar with tribal nuances in southwestern Nigeria get no glossaries, soggy transliterations, or italicizations of Nigerian contexts ... Political rivalry paradoxically binds and dampens the characters’ lives, but Adébáyọ̀’s tone is so assured and masterful that it does not steep into the contrived and pithy missteps political and proletarian novels could take ... A Spell of Good Things is irrefutably expansive and yet so domestic that its characters linger. Although longer and arguably more multifaceted than Adébáyọ̀’s critically acclaimed debut, Stay with Me, it is a testament to Adébáyọ̀’s ability to weave multiple narratives amidst a poignant sense of Nigeria’s political landscape.
... bright and distinctive tragedy ... Pitch-perfect details provide a sense of the characters’ lives—the red dust caked on Ẹniọlá’s white socks from long walks to school, the soft headscarf worn by Wúràọlá’s mother that “barely whispered”—and as the characters are pushed to the brink, Adébáyọ̀ delivers a searing indictment of the country’s corruption and gender inequalities. This packs a powerful punch.
Once Adébáyọ̀ introduces a plotline involving rival politicians, the story’s trajectory becomes more predictable and moralizing (not to mention more violent). But the novel thrives in its particulars, from Ẹniọlá's struggle to maintain his dignity while openly begging on the streets, to Wúràọlá's tense relationship with her siblings and keeping up appearances. In the process she reveals how stifling—and dangerous—unthinking loyalty to tradition and family can be. A somber study of good intentions undone by money and abuse.
